School's Overruns Offer Lesson for Repairs

D.C. Council to Vote on Massive Renovation Project, Reviving Criticism of Past Budget Debacles

The new McKinley Technology High School opened last year without several planned features that were cut because of cost overruns. (Photos By Michel Ducille -- The Washington Post)

McKinley Technology High School sits on a hill in Northeast Washington, a $73 million campus of imposing brick and stone. But resurrecting the once crumbling and empty school cost taxpayers $21 million more than expected, making it one of the most expensive school construction projects in the city's history.

The complicated story of why McKinley went so far over budget offers a lesson during the current debate on whether the city should raise an additional $1 billion to renovate its aging schools.

The D.C. Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a proposal by council member Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) to generate the funds by imposing new taxes on parking, cigarettes and commercial real estate. The proposal has resurrected criticism of past construction efforts that have gone over budget, and some business leaders want assurances that won't happen again.

In McKinley's case, the answer involves finger-pointing in every direction, including criticism that school officials paid too little attention to the project, that the design contained errors, that the project was poorly managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that it was plagued by unrealistic cost estimates and timetables.

When the new McKinley opened in September 2004, officials were forced to rent stage lighting for the ribbon-cutting ceremony because climbing construction costs had left no money for the lighting fixtures. A plan to buy a laptop for every student was also wiped out as costs rose.

"We are able to offer an outstanding educational environment," said Principal Daniel F. Gohl. "But if it had been well designed, it could have been done a lot cheaper."

Advocates for new funding argue that past cost overruns should not affect the upcoming vote because the construction would be under the control not of the Corps but of new managers. Among the most contentious questions are who those managers would be and whether the school system is up to the job.

Since 1998, most school construction has been managed by the Corps, which has drawn criticism from advocates and school and city officials for driving up costs. During that time, about $680 million was spent on improvement projects, including complete renovations of 12 schools.

"We paid way, way too much for them," Patterson said.

Corps officials, however, dismiss that criticism.

"Much of what is being characterized today as cost overruns were actually conscious decisions made by D.C. officials . . . to expand the scope of individual projects from what was originally contemplated," said Michael Rogers, program manager for Corps' school construction in the District.

Under Patterson's plan, a nine-member appointed advisory committee would oversee the efforts to improve the city's 147 schools. On a daily basis, the work would be managed by the school system, and officials said qualified staff members have been hired to do so. The D.C. Chamber of Commerce has proposed an alternative plan that calls for an independent entity to be in charge.